disruption
noun
dis·rup·tion
dis-ˈrəp-shən 
plural disruptions
: the act or process of disrupting something : a break or interruption in the normal course or continuation of some activity, process, etc.
disruption of sleep
disruptions in service
a process that has continued without disruption
Throughout the history of medicine, health has been seen as a condition of equilibrium and illness as the disruption of a balanced state.—
David Mechanic
David MechanicBy 1925 most countries had recovered from the economic disruptions caused by the Great War of 1914-18.—John A. Garraty
John A. GarratyExamples of disruption in a Sentence
the flat tire resulted in an unfortunate disruption of the schedule for our road trip
Recent Examples on the Web
Their worry is that investors are treating this economic moment — physical supply disruptions, geopolitical fracturing, tariff whiplash — like the liquidity crises of the past, which were solvable with government cash.
—Rachel Keidan, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
That’s leaving businesses across industries scrambling to reconfigure their supply chains and come up with strategies to offset the disruptions, according to the latest business surveys from the Institute for Supply Management.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
The disruptions have sent fuel prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy.
—Adam Schreck, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
The war in Iran caused an unprecedented disruption to global oil flows, as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to a near standstill and some production in the Persian Gulf had to shut down.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for disruption
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Keidan, semafor.com, 7 May 2026
That’s leaving businesses across industries scrambling to reconfigure their supply chains and come up with strategies to offset the disruptions, according to the latest business surveys from the Institute for Supply Management.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
The disruptions have sent fuel prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy.
—Adam Schreck, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
The war in Iran caused an unprecedented disruption to global oil flows, as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to a near standstill and some production in the Persian Gulf had to shut down.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for disruption
Cite this Entry
“Disruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disruption. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
disruption
noun
dis·rup·tion
dis-ˈrəp-shən
: the act or process of breaking apart or rupturing
bandaged her leg tightly to prevent disruption of the partly healed wound
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
